There are jobs available that pay well and for which demand is growing, making job security and the prospect for higher salaries very good for workers without a college degree.

Dental HygienistDental hygienists earn an average of $68,000 annually and the profession has a projected growth rate of 38%. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ongoing research linking oral health and general health will increase demand for preventive dental services. Dental hygienists only require an associate's degree, which typically takes two years to earn.

Online Advertising ManagerFacebook has more than 1 billion users while Twitter has a little over 500 million. The potential online audience that companies can reach continues to grow as the number of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets increase. An online advertising manager is in charge of how a company connects, interacts with and monetizes the online community. Average income for this profession is $87,000. The job does not require a four-year degree, but experience in a related field such as search engine optimization or email marketing is required.

Commercial PilotNo degree is required for this job, but you are going to need a lot of training and experience. The median salary is $67,500 with a projected job growth rate of 21%. Pilots make an average of $13,000 more than the average college-educated worker. The best chance of landing one of these jobs is to live near a major hub such as Miami, Atlanta, Dallas or Phoenix. While a college degree is not required, having one is a method to prove you can handle the complex educational requirements involved in becoming certified.

Brick and Block MasonsThe median salary for this job is $46,930, which is low compared to others on the list, but for those who would rather work with their hands, this job is one of the best in the construction field. As the population grows, so too does the need for more schools, hospitals and apartment buildings, thus making this area of construction a good choice for employment. Experts project a 41% job growth rate through 2020. Like most jobs that pay better than others in their industry, workers have to pay their dues. A three- to four-year apprenticeship is often required before workers can reach the average salary.

13 Jan 2013

1. A college degree will get you a job Generations of students have been told that if they get a college degree, they'll easily find a job afterward. Unfortunately, it's no longer so clear-cut. Degrees no longer open doors the way they used to, and too many new graduates are remaining unemployed or under-employed for months or even years, as employers opt for more experienced candidates. This is frustrating and confusing for graduates, who often feel that they did everything they were supposed to and they're not getting the pay-off they were promised would come.

2. Do what you're passionate about and the money will follow In reality, not all passions match up with the realities of the job market. If you're passionate about poetry or painting, you're going to find very limited job opportunities for those things. In fact, the people who get to do what they love for a job are the lucky ones; they're not the majority. A better goal is to find work that you can do reasonably happily; it doesn't need to be your passion.

3. If you can't find a job, just start your own business Starting your own business is hard, and it's not for everyone. It's not as easy as just having a skill and selling it. You have to have something that people want to buy from you more than they want to buy it from your competitors. You also have to be able to market yourself, deal with financial uncertainty, have some savings as a launch pad, and overcome plenty of other challenges. It's not a cure-all for anyone who can't find a job or is unhappy in their career.

4. Your major in college will lead to your careerStudents often come out of school thinking that their major will lead them to their life-long career path directly, but it's very often not the case--especially for majors in the liberal arts. You might have an English degree but end up in HR, or a sociology degree but end up selling ads, or a music degree but end up as a professional fundraiser. On the other hand, degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math are more likely to end up pointing you toward a more defined career path.

5. If you're not sure what you want to do, go to grad schoolGrad school makes sense when you want to follow a career path that requires an advanced degree. But it's a bad use of time and money if you're hoping it will somehow point you down a career path, or if you're going because you're not sure what else to do. Many people who go to grad school for lack of a better option come out a few years later saddled with large student loans, and not any better positioned than they were before they enrolled. Which leads to?

6. Grad school will always make you more marketable Grad school generally will not make you more marketable unless you're going into a field that specifically requires a graduate degree. In fact, it can make you less competitive, by keeping you from getting work experience for that much longer and requiring you to find a higher-paying job than you might otherwise need because you need to pay back school loans--and even worse, if you apply for jobs that have nothing to do with your graduate degree, many employers will think you don't really want the job you're applying for, since it's not in "your field.